How do you evaluate a city? If you're thinking of moving, you might look at school quality, commute times and real estate resale values. But here's another measure to keep in mind: Fitness.


For the fifth year in a row, the American College of Sports Medicine has ranked U.S. cities based on measures of health and health potential.


“As urban areas attract more and more residents, it’s imperative for cities to create a built environment, fund amenities and form policies that get residents active and encourage healthy lifestyles,” Walter Thompson, Ph.D., chair of the AFI Advisory Board said in a statement.


Thompson and his team looked at both personal health indicators of each city's residents, as well as qualities in the urban space that encourage health behaviors. That means rates of obesity and hypertension are important. But so too are things like public parks, farmer's markets and opportunities to commute via foot or bike. The team used data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.


Did your city make the list? Read on for a look at the top ten:






  • Minneapolis, Minn.


    <strong>Total Score =</strong> 78.1 <br> <strong>Rank = </strong>1 <br><br> Remaining in the number one spot, Minneapolis excelled when it came to an active population -- with high scores for physical fitness and active lifestyle. But even the winner had areas for improvement, including a low percentage of the population who ate enough fresh produce and a high percentage of the population who suffered from asthma.




  • Washington, D.C.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 77.2 <br> <strong>Rank </strong>= 2 <br><br> Washingtonians tend not to smoke and are conscientious about maintaining good health care coverage, though the report reveals that they lack enough park space and also have a high asthma rate.




  • Portland, Ore.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 69.8 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 3 <br><br> Up from seventh place last year, Portland slid into the third spot in 2013. Despite a high obesity rate, along with diabetes, asthma and mental health problems, the city of Portland makes way for some seriously healthy behaviors like active commutes by bike and on foot, lots of recreative parks and town squares and a high percentage of farmer's markets offering fresh produce.




  • San Francisco, Calif.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 68.7 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 4 <br><br> Holding strong at number four, San Franciscans get active on their way to work -- biking and walking in greater numbers. And thanks to high expenditures on parks and other public space, there is plenty of room to stay active outside of the commute. But the city's population stumbles when it comes to mental health, reporting an above average number of days during which psychological problems persisted.




  • Denver, Colo.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 68.1 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 5 <br><br> Few Denver residents are obese, perhaps thanks to an extensive and well-funded parks system, and few suffer from associated conditions like diabetes and heart disease. But the city's school children have a less-than-rigorous physical education department and there is an overall high rate of mental health problems, smoking and asthma.




  • Boston, Mass.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 67.1 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 6 <br><br> People from Boston are hardy stock, according to the report, which found that Bostonians report being in excellent health at exceptional rates. Unfortunately, and somewhat paradoxically, they also had above average rates of coronary heart disease and a lack of publicly accessible recreational space.




  • Sacramento, Calif.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 66.8 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 7 <br><br> Sacramento also had an active and veggie-loving population, thanks to a high rate of farmer's markets and public recreation areas. But the city's population still suffers from mental health problems, asthma, diabetes and heart disease.




  • Seattle, Wash.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 66.7 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 8 <br><br> The fit, veggie-loving people of Seattle helped their city score high marks for fitness, diet and environmental factors like good funding for parks, high quality physical education in schools and active commuting. But the city's residents also suffered high asthma rates and mental health problems.




  • Hartford, Conn.


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 66.6 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 9 <br><br> Citizens of the relatively small Hartford are active and exceptional at eating their veggies, but diabetes, heart disease and asthma remain high.




  • San Jose, Calif


    <strong>Total Score</strong> = 63.4 <br> <strong>Rank</strong> = 10 <br><br> New to the list this year and bumping Austin, Tex. into the 11th spot, San Jose made the top 10 thanks to a populace who ate fresh produce in high numbers, and were less likely to be obese and have heart disease. That may be thanks to a high rates of bikers and walkers, a wealth of farmer's markets and tendency toward pet ownership.